Paradoxes from A to Z, Third edition is the essential guide to paradoxes, and takes the reader on a lively tour of puzzles that have taxed thinkers from Zeno to Galileo, and Lewis Carroll to Bertrand Russell. Michael Clark uncovers an array of conundrums, such as Achilles and the Tortoise, Theseus’ Ship, and the Prisoner’s Dilemma, taking in subjects as diverse as knowledge, science, art and politics. Clark discusses each paradox in non-technical terms, considering its significance and looking at likely solutions.
This third edition is revised throughout, and adds nine new paradoxes that have important bearings in areas such as law, logic, ethics and probability.
Paradoxes from A to Z, Third edition is an ideal starting point for those interested not just in philosophical puzzles and conundrums, but anyone seeking to hone their thinking skills.
Foreword to the Third Edition 1. Achilles and the Tortoise 2. Allais’ Paradox 3. The Paradox of Analysis 4. The Arrow 5. The Barber Shop Paradox 6. Berry’s Paradox 7. Bertrand’s Box Paradox 8. Bertrand’s (Chord) Paradox 9. The Paradox of Blackmail 10. The Bridge 11. Buridan’s Ass 12. The Cable Guy Paradox 13. Cantor’s Paradox 14. The Paradox of the Charitable Trust 15. The Chicken and the Egg 16. Curry’s Paradox 17. The Paradox of Democracy 18. The Designated Student 19. The Paradox of Deterrence 20. The Dr. Psycho Paradox 21. The Eclipse Paradox 22. The Paradox of Entailment 23. The Paradox of Fiction 24. The Paradox of Foreknowledge 25. The Paradox of Future Generations 26. Galileo’s Paradox 27. The Gentle Murder Paradox 28. The Paradox of the Gods 29. Grue (Goodman’s ‘New Riddle of Induction’) 30. The Heap 31. Heraclitus’ Paradox 32. Heterological 33. Hilbert’s Hotel 34. The Indy Paradox 35. The Paradox of Inference 36. The Paradox of Interesting Numbers 37. The Paradox of Jurisdiction 38. The Paradox of Knowability 39. The Knower 40. The Lawyer 41. The Liar 42. The Lottery 43. Lycan’s Paradox 44. The Paradox of the Many 45. The Monty Hall Paradox 46. Moore’s Paradox 47. Moral Luck 48. The Paradox of the Muddy Children 49. Murder 50. Newcomb’s Problem 51. The Numbered Balls 52. The Paradox of Omniscience 53. Paradox 54. The Parrondo Paradox 55. The Pasadena Paradox 56. Pascal’s Wager 57. The Placebo Paradox 58. The Paradox of Plurality 59. The Poison Hypothetical 60. The Prediction Paradox 61. The Preface 62. The Paradox of Preference 63. Prisoner’s Dilemma 64. The Prosecutor’s Fallacy 65. The Paradox of the Question 66. Quinn’s Paradox 67. The Racecourse 68. The Rakehell 69. The Paradox of the Ravens 70. The Red Taxi Paradox 71. Richard’s Paradox 72. Russell’s Paradox 73. The St Petersburg Paradox 74. The Self-Amendment Paradox 75. Self-deception 76. Self-fulfilling Belief 77. The Ship of Theseus 78. Simpson’s Paradox 79. The Sleeping Beauty 80. The Paradox of Soundness 81. The Spaceship 82. The Toxin Paradox 83. The Paradox of Tragedy 84. The Tristram Shandy 85. The Trojan Fly 86. The Trolley Problem 87. The Two-Envelope Paradox 88. The Unexpected Examination 89. The Paradox of Validity 90. The Paradox of Voting 91. Wang’s Paradox 92. The Xenophobic Paradox 93. Yablo’s Paradox 94. Zeno’s Paradoxes. Index
Biography
Michael Clark is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Nottingham, UK. He is editor of the leading journal Analysis, and has published widely in a variety of areas, including philosophical logic and the philosophy of law.
Praise for previous editions:
‘Self-contained courses in paradox are not usually taught as part of a philosophy degree. There is good reason for thinking they should be, and this book would make the ideal text for just such a course.’ – Times Higher Education Supplement
‘Clark’s survey is an entertaining junkshop of mind-troubling problems.’ – The Guardian
‘Paradoxes from A to Z is a clear, well-written and philosophically reliable introduction to a range of paradoxes. It is the perfect reference book for anyone interested in this area of philosophy.’ – Nigel Warburton, author of Philosophy: The Basics
‘An excellent book … Clark’s masterful discussion makes this one of the best general introductions to paradoxes.’ – James Cargile, University of Virginia, USA
‘Very well done … a useful complement to the existing literature.’ – Alan Weir, University of Glasgow, UK
